This invention relates to electronic computing systems and, more particularly, to stand-alone print file buffer memory systems.
Stand-alone print buffers have found widespread acceptance, particularly in personal and small-business computer systems which use serial printers that operate at relatively low speeds. Connected between the computer and the printer, the buffer accepts data at high speed from the computer, stores the data temporarily in its memory, and then relays the data to the printer at a lower rate. Once the data has been trasmitted to the buffer, the computer is free for other operations. When used in connection with an 80 character-per-second printer, for example, a stand-alone buffer can typically save one minute of computer time for every page of material to be printed.
A stand-alone print buffer has its own internal memory and a control processor. Unlike software print spooling programs (which also permit concurrent printing and processing), the stand-alone buffer does not "borrow" memory space or processing time from the computer. Moreover, the more "intelligent" stand-alone buffers include operator controls for clearing the buffer's internal memory, resetting the print cycle to beginning of the document stored, halting the print operation temporarily, and making multiple copies of the stored document (all without further processing by the computer). Such intelligent buffers are typically connected between an industry-standard printer output port (a RS-232 serial or a Centronics parallel port) and the similarly conventional input port to the printer by means of standard cables and jacks, permitting installation by the user without technical assistance.